Liquid-soap dispenser



Dec. 31, 1968 J. LIPPMAN ET AL 3,419,194

LIQUID-SOAP DISPENSER Filed Sept. 25, 1967 Sheet INVENTOR. JeromeLiPpmQn A? Henn T. Orr

Attorneq Dec. 31, 1968 j UP ET AL 3,419,194

LIQUID-SOAP DISPENSER Filed Sept. 25, 1967 Sheet 2 of :5

l3 1 I4 INVENTOR.

3e rome Lmpmom & BY Henflj 3 Orr" Attorneg Dec. 31, 1968 J. LIPPMAN ETAL LIQUID-SOAP DISPENSER Sheet Filed Sept. 25, 1967 INVENTOR. TeromeLlppmcm 8: Henry T- 0" Attorneg United States Patent 3,419,194LIQUID-SOAP DISPENSER Jerome Lippman, 275 N. Portage Path, Akron, Ohio44303, and Henry J. Orr, 2834 Vincent St., Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44221Filed Sept. 25, 1967, Ser. No. 670,312 25 Claims. (Cl. 222-390) ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE Liquid-soap dispenser having screw-operated piston forpressurizing and dispensing liquid soap from cylindrical container, hasannular gasket of elastic material normally loosely held betweenrelatively fixed plate on operating screw, and movable plate axiallymovable relatively of fixed plate, permitting yielding manipulation ofthe gasket for selective easy movement of piston axially into or out ofthe container. With the piston mounted in the container, pressure ofsoap against movable plate clamps gasket against fixedly held plate, tocompress the gasket and thereby expand the same radially outwardly intostrong fluid-sealing engagement with container wall.

Background of invention The present invention relates to a soapdispenser of the type generally as shown and described in prior UnitedStates Patent No. 2,815,994, which included an improvement in apressure-applying piston designed for selfadjusting conformity of arubber-sealing gasket thereof to the inner walls of the dispensercontainers, within plus or minus variations in given diameters of saidwalls. While the prior piston referred to provided a satisfactory fluidseal, it has been found that, in actual practice, insertion and removalof the piston from the containers was sometimes very difficult due toincompressibility of rubber gaskets in confined space, and especially sowhen said given wall diameters were on the minus side. Other knownpiston devices, such as those disclosed in the several references citedin Patent No. 2,815,994, were even less satisfactory from thisstandpoint.

Summary of invention In the present invention, a liquid soap dispenserof the general type disclosed in Patent No. 2,815,994, has a pist nthreaded on a screw shaft, which is progressively rotatable to urge thepiston inwardly within the container to compress soap therein. Toovercome the aforesaid difficulties in inserting the piston within thecontainer, it is formed as a unit including a relatively fixed outerplate screwed on the threaded shaft and an inner plate shiftablyconnected to the outer plate for limited axial movement thereon, and aresilient or elastic annular gasket normally loosely retained betweensuperposed annular flanges on the two plates. The gasket may have agenerally cylindrical outer edge of diameter approximating a givendiameter of the container wall, for resilient, fluid-sealing engagementtherewith. Accordingly, when the screw shaft is turned in known manner,the resultantly pressurized soap urges the lower plate toward therelatively fixed upper plate to compress the gasket between thesuperposed annular flanges, thereby to provide an effective fluid sealbetween the engaged surfaces of the gasket and the two flanges, and alsoto expand the material of the gasket radially outward against thecontainer wall. Means may be provided to bypass pressurized fluidinwardly of the lower plate to an edge portion of the gasket exposedradially inwardly of the same, further to expand the gasket radiallyagainst the container wall.

One object of the present invention is to provide a soap or likedispenser of the character described with an im- 3,419,194 Patented Dec.31, 1968 proved fiuid-pressurizing piston which is self-adjusting as aunit, in absence of pressurized soap within the soap dispensercontainer, to relax elastic sealing gasket in the piston unit forrepeated easy passage into or out of the container, and to compress anddistend the gasket into fluid-sealing relationship with the containerwall when the piston is in pressurizing relation to the soap.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved soappressurizing piston of the character described which is self-operatingto utilize the soap pressure to expand the elastic gasket intoproportionately strong fluidsealing engagement wtih said container wall.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved pistondevice of the character described, including a said elastic gasketmounted between two relatively movable plates, wherein said elasticgasket is readily removable and replaceable without otherwisedissassembling said plates.

Other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following briefdescription and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away and in section, of aliquid-soap dispenser embodying the features of the invention, withoutsoap in the same.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-section of an improved soap-pressurizingpiston therein, as viewed substantially on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, toillustrate the inner or bottom side of the piston.

FIGURE 3 is a view of the upper or outer side of the piston shown apartfrom the dispenser, and on the same scale as FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an edge view of the piston shown in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an exploded view of the piston shown in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary cross-section, on the same scale as FIGURES 2to 4, showing the upper end of a full soap container of the dispenser ofFIGURE 1, and illustrating the manner of easily positioning the pistonof FIGURES 3 and 4 in the container, while mounted on a separable screwshaft of the dispenser.

FIGURE 7 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 6, but illustrating thepiston in a contracted, soap-pressurizing condition within thecontainer.

FIGURE 8 is a partial fragmentary view corresponding to FIGURE 7, but ata different location, to show mating parts for preventing rotation of asealing gasket with reference to lost-motion mounting plates supportingthe same.

Referring generally to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, and in particular toFIGURES 2 to 6, the numeral 10 designates a self-adjusting piston unitincorporating the features of the invention, including an outer plate11, of rigid plastic or metal, formed with a downwardly extending,cylindrical hub portion 12, an inner plate 13 of similar rigid materialhaving a central opening 14 in an upwardly dished central portion 15 ofthe same, for limited axial sliding reception of said hub portion 12therethrough, and an annular, flat-sided gasket 16 of rubber or likefluidsealing elastic material retained in centered relation betweensuperposed annular marginal flanges 17 and 18 on the outer and innerplates respectively, to have a substantial portion 16a of the gasketprotruding freely. A plurality of peripherally spaced lug extensions 12aon the outer end of said hub portion 12 limit said axial floatingmovement of outer plate thereon so that the outer plate is freelymovable toward and from fluidsealing, yielding engagement of said gasketbetween said flanges 17 and 18 (see FIGURES 6 and 7). Central portionsof plates 11 and 13 may come together in axially contracted condition ofthe unit, for greater rigidity.

As best shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, the annular gasket 16 is ofsubstantial thickness to define a generally cylindrical peripheral edge20 in which an annular groove 21 of substantial depth is provided topermit a substantial amount of compression and flexure of the annularportion 16a of the gasket presented outwardly of the plate flanges 17and 18 for purposes to be described later. The groove 21, therebydefines outer and inner peripheral lips 22 and 23 adapted to beyieldingly flexed relatively of each other. As movement of the pistonunit against liquid soap tends to flex the inner lip 23 axially andnadially into effective sealing relation to the cylinder wall (seeFIGURES 6, 7, and 8), this advantage may be increased by chamfering theunderside of the inner lip at 24, to make it more flexible forconforming to irregularities in the container wall.

For purposes to be described later, the outer plate 11 may be formedwith an annular V-shaped channel 26 defining a conical wall 27 which, inthe contracted or compressed condition of the piston parts best shown inFIGURE 7, cooperates with an axially inwardly convergent inner conicalface 28 of the gasket 16 to provide a slight clearance defining anannular soap-receiving passage 29, adapted to communicate with thepressurized soap body S through a relatively slight clearance, providedbetween mating portions of the outer and inner plates 11 and 12 and asimilar clearance between plate 13 and hub 12 at the opening 14 of saidplate. The conical mating relationship of gasket 16 and wall 27 servesas effective means for self-centering the gasket when the two plates arebrought together. To prevent possible turning of the gasket with respectto the plates, which might hinder installation of the piston in acontainer C of soap S (see FIGURE 6), the gasket 16 may have a pluralityof integral lugs 31, 31 for substantial mating reception in recesses 32,32 in the channel wall 27 of the outer plate 11. A soap-receiving space29a may be provided between each lug 31 and its recess wall 32a, tocommunicate with the recess 29 and the connecting inward spaces to saidpressurized soap.

As best shown in FIGURE 1, for relatively fixedly, but axiallyadjustably mounting the piston unit in a soap container or can C,mounted in known manner on the base B of a soap dispenser D (see alsoFIGURES 2 and 6), the central hub 12 of the outer piston plate 11 mayhave formed or otherwise non-rotatably aflixed therein an internallythreaded screw part or sleeve 33, for threaded connection on anexternally threaded hollow screw shaft 34. Shaft 34, with the pistonunit 10 partially threaded thereon, is axially slidably receivable on anupright rod 35 of the dispenser D, until the piston is yieldinglyreceived within the container wall, and until the lower end of the shaftbecomes keyed to the rod 35. By reciprocation of handle H on dispenserbase B, the shaft 34, through a one-way clutch driving mechanism 38 ofknown type, may be unidirectionally rotated progressively to maintainthe piston in pressurizing engagement with liquid soap within thecontaner C. Ths rotaton is initially contnued until sufficient pressureis built up in the confined soap to compress the inner plate 13 axiallytoward the fixed outer plate 11, away from the stop lugs or extensions12a, thereby yieldingly to compress the normally loose, uncompressedelastic gasket 16 toward fluid-sealing relationship between the plateflanges 17 and 18. Pressurized soap is additionally forced through theaforesaid clearance spaces to the annular recess 29 and spaces 29a,yieldingly to urge the gasket into further strong fluid-sealingrelationship to the container wall. To this end, the inwardly convergentangle of the inner gasket face 28 assures that outward compressiveforces applied by the soap will be directed toward the inner lip 23 forrequisite fluid-sealing engagement thereof with the container wall atthat point (see FIGURES 7 and 8).

The use or operation of the improved piston 10, shown in FIGURES 2 to 4,will be clearly understOod by reference to FIGURE 1, and by adescription of the manner of replacing an empty soap can or container Cwith a full can, in the dispenser D. Accordingly, a clamping nut 37 isunscrewed from the upper end of screw shaft 34 to release a cap 36holding the can C seated on base B. This allows the screw shaft 34 to beremoved from the upright operating rod 35. The piston 10, retained onthe screw shaft is then easily removed therewith from empty can, becausethe gasket 16 will be in loose, uncompressed condition between theplates 11 and 13, as shown in FIGURES 4 and 6.

A replacement can C, filled with liquid hand soap, for example, is thenmounted in known manner on the dispenser base B, and the screw shaft 34with piston unit 10 thereon is fitted back onto the upright operatingrod 35. At the same time, the piston unit 10, with the gasket 16 inloose, uncompressed condition, is easily fitted into the can in themanner shown in FIGURE 6. When the screw shaft is properly positionedand keyed on rod 35, the cap 36 is clamped on upper end of the can C, byturning clamping nut 37 on the upper end of the shaft 34 against the capto hold the can firmly seated in fluid-sealed relation on base B.

The handle H on base B now may be repeatedly reciprocated, and therebythrough the one-way clutch operating mechanism 38 (see FIGURE 1) torotate the upright rod 35 which in turn rotates the screw shaft 34. Asthe piston 10 is held against rotation by pressure contact of the gasket16 with the cylindrical wall of the can C, continued rotation of thescrew shaft urges the piston downwardly in the can until it compressesthe liquid soap 8 therein toward a requisite degree of pressure fordispensing soap. As the soap pressure builds up in this way, the innerplate 13 is strongly urged toward the outer plate 11, which is in eifectrelatively fixed on the screw shaft, until the gasket is yieldinglycompressed between the annular flanges 17 and 18 of the outer and innerplates, respectively, thereby distending the outer wall 20 of the gaskettoward tight fluid-sealing engagement with the cylindrical wall of canC. In addition, pressurized soap S is forced into the clearances betweenthe plates, and into annular passage 29 and pockets 29a, yieldingly tocompress and distend the gasket radially outwardly to assure strongfluid-sealing contact of the gasket surface portion 20 with the wall ofthe can. Due to the inwardly convergent nature of conical wall 28 of thegasket, this pressure applied thereto by the soap S is concentratedtoward the inner gasket lip 23, where a strong sealing grip against thecan wall is essential to normal use of the dispenser due to the factthat piston is progressively moved inwardly against the pressurizedsoap.

When requisite pressure is attained, short extents of soap are extrudedthrough a nozzle N in the base B (see FIGURE 1), by applying singlereciprocating strokes of the dispenser handle H, in known manner asrequired. Each such stroke progressively moves the piston 10 inwardly tomaintain the soap body S in pressurized condition.

The improved piston unit 10 solves a vexing problem experienced ininserting prior pistons in cans of soap being mounted in soapdispensers, as well as the similarly vexing problem of removing thepiston from the empty cans.

Modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A piston as for relatively applying internal pressure to fluidmaterial within a cylindrical wall of a container, comprising: a discunit including relatively fixed and movable outer and inner plateshaving axially spaced annular surfaces, and an annular gasket receivedbetween said surfaces; said gasket being of resilient material and ofsubstantial thickness defining a radially outward, generally cylindricalperipheral edge of diameter approximating that of the cylindrical wall;means axially shiftably connecting said plates for limited axialfloating movement of one said plate relatively of the other betweenextended and contracted conditions thereof in which said gasket isuncompressed and compressed, respectively, between said surfaces of theplates; whereby with said outer plate relatively fixed in use of saiddisc unit in the container, opposing pressure of the fluid within thecontainer against said inner plate relatively moves the same towardcontracted condition thereof to compress said gasket yieldingly betweensaid annular surfaces tending to expand the gasket radially outwardlywith respect to said cylindrical wall.

2. A piston as in claim 1, including means for substantially centeringsaid annular gasket axially within the disc unit when said plates arerelatively moved to contracted condition thereof.

3. A piston as in claim 2, said means for centering including an annularwall portion on said outer plate for centering reception within saidgasket.

4. A piston as in claim 3, said means for centering providing an annularspace into which said gasket is radially inwardly contractible byyielding reception of the same within said cylindrical wall while thegasket is otherwise in relatively uncompressed condition between saidannular surfaces of said plates.

5. A piston as in claim 4, mating means being provided on said gasketand said outer plate for preventing relative rotation of the same.

6. A piston as in claim 5, said mating means including peripherallyspaced recessed portions in said outer plate and peripherally spacedlugs on said gasket for substantially complemental reception in saidrecesses.

7. A piston as in claim 6, passage means being provided between saidouter and inner plates, operable in contracted condition thereof foroutward passage of pressurized fluid material to said annular space topressurize the radially inward edge of the gasket, yieldingly to distendthe gasket into correspondingly increased fluid-sealing engagement withsaid cylindrical wall.

8. A piston as in claim 7, said radially inward edge of said gasketbeing axially inwardly convergent to direct the force applied thereto bythe pressurized fluid toward the lower lip of said cylindricalperipheral edge of the gasket.

9. A piston as in claim 1, passage means being provided between saidouter and inner plates in the contracted condition thereof to providefor outward passage of said pressurized fluid to the radially inwardedge of said gasket, thereby yieldingly to distend the gasket radiallyoutwardly into correspondingly increased, fluid-sealing engagement ofsaid cylindrical edge thereof with the cylindrical wall.

10. A piston as in claim 1, passage means being provided between saidouter and inner plates in the contracted condition thereof to providefor outward passage of said pressurized fluid to the radially inwardedge of said gasket, thereby yieldingly to distend the gasket radiallyoutwardly into correspondingly increased, fluid-sealing engagement ofsaid cylindrical edge thereof with the cylindrical wall, said radiallyinward edge of said gasket being axially inwardly convergent to directthe force applied thereto by the pressurized fluid toward the lower lipof said cylindrical peripheral edge of the gasket.

11. A piston as in claim 1, passage means being provided between saidouter and inner plates in the contracted condition thereof to providefor outward passage of said pressurized fluid to the radially inwardedge of said gasket, thereby yieldingly to distend the gasket radiallyoutwardly into correspondingly increased, fluid-sealing engagement ofsaid cylindrical edge thereof with the cylindrical wall, said radiallyinward edge of said gasket being axially inwardly convergent to directthe force applied thereto by the pressurized fluid toward the lower lipof said cylindrical peripheral edge of the gasket, including means forsubstantially centering said annular gasket axially within the disc unitwhen said plates are relatively moved to contracted condition thereof.

12. A piston as in claim 1, passage means being provided between saidouter and inner plates in the contracted condition thereof to providefor outward passage of said pressurized fluid to the radially inwardedge of said gasket, thereby yieldingly to distend the gasket radiallyoutwardly into correspondingly increased, fluid-sealing engagement ofsaid cylindrical edge thereof with the cylindrical wall, said radiallyinward edge of said gasket being axially inwardly convergent to directthe force applied thereto by the pressurized fluid toward the lower lipof said cylindrical peripheral edge of the gasket, including means forsubstantially centering said annular gasket axially within the disc unitwhen said plates arerelatively moved to contracted condition thereof;said means for centering providing an annular space into which saidgasket is radially inwardly contractible by yielding reception of thesame within said cylindrical Wall while the gasket is otherwise inrelatively uncompressed condition between said annular surfaces of saidplates.

13. A piston as in claim 1, passage means being provided between saidouter and inner plates in the contracted condition thereof to providefor outward passage of said pressurized fluid to the radially inwardedge of said gasket, thereby yieldingly to distend the gasket radiallyoutwardly into correspondingly increased, fluid-sealing engagement ofsaid cylindrical edge thereof with the cylindrical wall, said radiallyinward edge of said gasket being axially inwardly convergent to directthe force applied thereto by the pressurized fluid toward the lower lipof said cylindrical peripheral edge of the gasket, including means forsubstantially centering said annular gasket axially within the disc unitwhen said plates are relatively moved to contracted condition thereof;said means for centering providing an annular space into which saidgasket is radially inwardly contractible by yielding reception of thesame within said cylindrical Wall while the gasket is otherwise inrelatively uncompressed condition between said annular surfaces of saidplates; mating means being provided on said gasket and said outer platefor preventing relative rotation of the same.

14. The combination with a soap or like dispenser having a base, meansfor fixedly supporting a cylindrical container of fluid soap on saidbase, a screw shaft rotatably mounted on said base to extend uprightthrough-said container of soap, and means for selectively rotating saidscrew shaft, of a piston within said container, comprising a disc unitincluding relatively fixed and movable outer and inner plates providedwith axially spaced annular surfaces, and an annular gasket receivedbetween said surfaces, said gasket being of resilient material and ofsubstantial thickness defining a radially outward, generally cylindricalperipheral edge of diameter approximating that of the cylindrical wall;said outer plate having hub means shiftably connecting said inner platefor limited axial movement of the plates relative of each other betweenaxially extended and contracted conditions; said hub means havingthreaded connection with said screw shaft for rotation of the outerplate to relatively fixed positions of use within the container, inwhich opposing pressure of the fluid within the container against saidinner plate relatively moves the same toward contracted conditionthereof to compress said gasket yieldingly in to fluid-sealing relationbetween said annular surfaces tending to expand the gasket radiallyoutwardly against said cylindrical wall.

15. The combination with a soap dispenser as in claim 14, includingmeans for substantially centering said annular gasket axially within thedisc unit when said plates are relatively moved to contracted conditionthereof.

16. The combination with a soap dispenser as in claim 15, said means forcentering including an annular wall portion on said outer plate forcentering reception Within said gasket.

17. The combination with a soap dispenser as in claim 16, said means forcentering providing an annular space into which said gasket is radiallyinwardly contractible by yielding reception of the same within saidcylindrical wall while the gasket is otherwise in relativelyuncompressed condition between said annular surfaces of said plates.

18. The combination Wit-h a soap dispenser as in claim 17, mating meansbeing provided on said gasket and said outer plate for preventingrelative rotation of the same.

19. The combination with a soap dispenser as in claim 18, said matingmeans including peripherally spaced recessed portions in said outerplate and peripherally spaced lugs on said gasket for substantiallycomplemental reception in said recesses.

20. The combination with a soap dispenser as in claim 19, passage meansbeing provided between said outer and inner plates, operable incontracted condition thereof for outward passage of pressurized fluidmaterial to said am nular space to pressurize the radially inward edgeof the gasket, yieldingly to distend the gasket into correspondinglyincreased fluid-sealing engagement with said cylindrical wall.

21. The combination as in claim 14, passage means being provided betweensaid outer and inner plates in the contracted condition thereof toprovide for outward passage of said pressurized fluid to the radiallyinward edge of said gasket, thereby yieldingly to distend the gasketradially outwardly into correspondingly increased, fluidsealingengagement of said cylindrical edge thereof with the cylindrical wall.

22. The combination as in claim 14, passage means being provided betweensaid outer and inner plates in the contracted condition thereof toprovide for outward passage of said pressurized fluid to the radiallyinward edge of said gasket, thereby yieldingly to distend the gasketradially outwardly into correspondingly increased, fluidsealingengagement of said cylindrical edge thereof with the cylindrical wall.

23. The combination as in claim 14, passage means being provided betweensaid outer and inner plates in the contracted condition thereof toprovide for outward passage of said pressurized fluid to the radiallyinward edge of said gasket, thereby yieldingly to distend the gasketradially outwardly into correspondingly increased, fluidsealingengagement of said cylindrical edge thereof with the cylindrical wall,said radially inward edge of said gasket being axially inwardlyconvergent to direct the force applied thereto by the pressurized fluidtoward the lower lip of said cylindrical peripheral edge of the gasket,

including means for substantially centering said annular gasket axiallywithin the disc unit when said plates are relatively moved to contractedcondition thereof.

24. The combination as in claim 14, passage means being provided betweensaid outer and inner plates in the contracted condition thereof toprovide for outward passage of said pressurized fluid to the radiallyinward edge of said gasket, thereby yieldingly to distend the gasketradially outwardly into correspondingly increased, fluidsealingengagement of said cylindrical edge thereof with the cylindrical wall,said radially inward edge of said gasket being axially inwardlyconvergent to direct the force applied thereto by the pressurized fluidtoward the lower lip of said cylindrical peripheral edge of the gasket,including means for substantially centering said annular gasket axiallywithin the disc unit when said plates are relatively moved to contractedcondition thereof, said means for centering providing an annular spaceinto which said gasket is radially inwardly contractible by yieldingreception of the same within said cylindrical wall while the gasket isotherwise in relatively uncompressed condition between said annularsurfaces of said plates.

25. The combination as in claim 14, passage means being provided betweensaid outer and inner plates in the contracted condition thereof toprovide for outward passage of said pressurized fluid to the radiallyinward edge of said gasket, thereby yieldingly to distend the gasketradially outwardly into correspondingly increased, fluidsealingengagement of said cylindrical edge thereof with the cylindrical wall,said radially inward edge of said gasket being axially inwardlyconvergent to direct the force applied thereto by the pressurized fluidtoward the lower lip of said cylindrical peripheral edge of the gasket,including means for substantially centering said annular gasket axiallywithin the disc unit when said plates are relatively moved to contractedcondition thereof, said means for centering providing an annular spaceinto which said gasket is radially inwardly contractible by yieldingreception of the same within said cylindrical wall while the gasket isotherwise in relatively uncompressed condition between said annularsurfaces of said plates, mating means being provided on said gasket andsaid outer plate for preventing relative rotation of the same.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,080,856 5/1937 Thomas 222390 X2,815,994 12/1957 Lippman et al.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

